Pawankhind is a name that still carries immense emotional power in Maharashtra. In 1660, Baji Prabhu Deshpande and a small band of Maratha soldiers held back the pursuing Adil Shahi forces at a narrow mountain pass, buying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj precious time to reach safety. Centuries later, a heavily outnumbered Iran demonstrated how the strategic geography of the Strait of Hormuz could be used to shake the global economy. These two episodes reveal a common pattern: geography can become a weapon and shape the course of history. At the KHAKI Talk #PawankhindToHormuz, author and historian Akshay Chavan uncovers a deeper and often overlooked layer of history with “the wealth networks,” and makes us revisit the routes, resources and geographical forces that shaped India and connected it to the wider world.
About the speaker
Akshay Chavan is an author and historian drawn to the currents that connect societies across time. Between 2017 and 2025, he founded and led Live History India, the country’s first digital platform dedicated to history and culture. He currently heads Pratiti Foundation, which works with diverse communities to share knowledge, strengthen skills and create enduring livelihoods. Having written more than two hundred articles exploring India’s social, economic and cultural past, he has recently written the book, The Wealth Networks: How Roads, Rivers and Seas Shaped India.
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